Percha Dam State Park, New Mexico

Hello, Sunshine!

After last night’s chill, I didn’t expect today’s sunshine. It’s a beautiful day for travel — about 50 degrees and no wind. I rearrange the boxes in the PTV and make a happy discovery. If I put one row of boxes lengthwise and the row next to it width-wise, the boxes touch the battery box. Why is this good? Remember all the effort to keep the boxes from sliding around? Now they fit snugly. Problem solved, and there’s still a channel of air below the battery box for air flow.

The shower house is a bit nippy this morning.

Showers and restrooms at Elephant Butte State Park

Fortunately, the water is hot.

The crew waits in the PTV while I shower, and wash and dry my hair. To think I almost didn’t keep my hair dryer! It’s not warm enough to be running around with wet hair.

Spike says goodbye to Elephant Butte.

Back at the campsite, George the camp host stops by.

I ask, “Did you hear the weather report? They say an arctic cold front is coming on Thursday.”

He says he heard it, and adds that his pipes and tanks are “winterized” (insulated), but he’s never tested them before in very cold weather.

I wish him luck and we say goodbye. He’s workkamping at Elephant Butte until April.

Bill and Kathy are breaking camp also.

They come over with two brand-new wheel covers that don’t fit their tires. Kathy puts one on a Casita tire and it fits! We say our goodbyes and hug. I promise to keep in touch. I’m hoping I can arrange a way for them to see the solar panel once it is up on the roof of the PTV.

The short drive south on I-25 is easy.

Bridget and Spike did not whine at all! Once off the interstate, we travel a few miles through irrigated fields to Percha Dam State Park. Cottonwood trees are all over the park, along with many evergreens. There aren’t many campers here, and the sites are pull-through, many with stone windbreaks around the tables with shelters.

Our campsite at Percha Dam State Park

It’s a pretty campsite with no close neighbors.

Everything is perfectly level. I detach the power cord between the PTV and the Casita, and pull out the Casita’s power cord out the little door in the back. Once plugged in with the refrigerator turned over to AC power, the crew and I set out on an exploratory mission.

That’s when the crew meets up with some bad luck!

It hits Spike first. He’s limping, holding his left front paw up high. I check the pad and find a mean-looking burr stuck in it. No bigger than a pea, it gives me a stab as I pull it out of Spike’s pad. I move us out of the grassy area and onto the campground road. We walk about five feet and Bridget refuses to move. Her butt is on the pavement, and her eyes are on me. I check her pads and, sure enough, she’s got a burr also. Spike picks up three more burrs before we get back to our campsite!

The fresh November air makes me hungry!

I scoop out some potato salad into a bowl, and take it to the picnic table. Spike and Bridget settle down on the concrete slab at my feet. The air is a perfect temperature when sitting in the sun. It was fun to be back on the road today. I hope I can get the solar done soon. . . maybe tomorrow.

The crew is tired.

I quickly straighten up the inside of our home. I had put the storage boxes on the bed and covered them with a quilt so they wouldn’t fall on the floor in transit. Spike and Bridget hop up on the bed. They need a nap. We’ll walk up to the pay station once they’re rested.

Spike rests his chin on the bolster and falls asleep. He'll take care of that chewbone later.

Hi! We found your blog today while looking for information on the Sandhill Crane migration. We too are full time travelers on the road for two years leaving Indiana and those cold wintersbehind! We are surprised we have not seen you before as we are close on your trail being at Caballo Lake! This is our first time camping here although we have been at Percha. This is a most beautiful area as you know…and now with the migration, it is amazing to see! Skunks….had to laugh at your story as we had one who “trapped” itself in our cats crate just a few feet away from our door…I just PRAYED him out! (without spraying) . Our website is in the midst of construction at the moment…we have many stories and pictures, but those pages are not working yet! Enjoy your travels and if you see a utility trailer with a cat on a leash nearby….that’s us!

WordPress was very uncooperative today . . . or maybe it was Verizon . .. . actually I think it was both. I had a tough time putting up this post . .. The photos wouldn’t show and then the internet connection would drop . . . ergghh! But I persevered. Can’t let my loyal readers down!

Hi Sue….from Texas. I were think’n it would be a little warmer here, but nope it ain’t. Got to Van Horn right on schedule, 250 mile down the road, fill up with fuel and head for the Texas Rest and RV Resort a couple mile out of town. It’s cold….42 degs and it ain’t even 7pm yet. But that’s Ok with me, I ain’t gonna be here much past sunrise tomorrow morn’n (bout 10am).
Hope tomorrow is your solar panel day. Solar panels are exciting ya know.

Katie has gotten those stickers in her feet at a few parks we’ve visited. She just stops walking and stands there looking at me. I check her feet, pull it out, and we walk on. Poor thing, those are really sharp! I brought a few in on the bottom of my sandal and they came off on the carpet. I walked on them bare footed – ouch!!! The funny thing is, we got them in parks that didn’t have cactus.

The crew does the same thing, which is good. I can pull the burr out before it does damage. You mentioned your carpet . . . I’ve pulled five of the darn things out of my little throw rug. I guess I brought them in on my shoes or the bottom edge of my pants.

Out here the burrs are called goat heads because besides all the little prickers on the burr, there is one real long horn pricker that is like a fish hook on the end! They are all over the southwest! In Florida, we were plagued with the sandspur. The sandspur is an ouchie for sure, but the goat head is a real bugger to get out sometimes! Usually our dogs immediately start hopping with one paw up in the air to signal they need help!

You’re right about Bridget. She tries to stay awake if I’m moving around. I don’t know why she is so fearful I’ll leave. I’ve had her since puppyhood and she’s had a secure life. Once I get on the bed with the laptop, she’ll let herself sleep.

Oh, and she doesn’t like the camera. If I have the camera in my hand, she thinks she has to guard against it or something. Such a nutcake.

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Meet the canine crew!

Roger (left) and Reggie (right)

What is the BLT?

The BLT is what I consider the Best Little Trailer, a 2011 17-foot Casita Liberty Deluxe which was the full-time home for me and my crew from August 2011 to May 2018.

What is the PTV?

The PTV is the Perfect Tow Vehicle. It's a 2005 Chevy Express Van with a V-8, 5.3 liter engine and equipped with a 200-watt solar panel on the roof and two AGM batteries inside.

What is a blogorino?

A blogorino is a reader who opens up the comment section of this blog and writes a message. Blogorinos are kind and friendly and fun to know!